Glenwood make Monnas battle

Hoërskool Monument of Krugersdorp went down to Durban for an interschools meeting that included more than just rugby but with the climax of the big meeting the 1st XV match, which Monnas won 21-8, their fifth victory in six years.

A Monnas' victory was expected but the grit of the Glenwood side and the intensity of their game made defeat seem like victory. Monnas won and deserved to do so but perhaps not by as large a margin. That said Monnas had the confidence and lightness of spirit to make the most of the slightest opportunity. But then again, had Glenwood, not missed three penalties in the first half, things may have been different. It is a tough responsibility to be a goal-kicker, a team depending on you alone in a 15-a-side game. In this match there was the added difficulty of a tricky wind on Dixons at Glenwood.

There was a sombre start to the match as the players and the spectators stood in silence to honour the memory of Tristan Stewart, a Glenwood pupil who died as a result of a motor accident on the N3 on his way to school on Wednesday morning, a school prefect and the hooker in the 2nd XV.

Monument had their own expression of sympathy, this time for  one of their schoolmasters, Louis Kruger who is fighting a battle with cancer and most of the boys had shaven heads in sympathy with him.

The match started with equal intensity by both sides.

There were many turnovers in the match and when Monnas won one, after a thudding tackle by Ruan Vermaak, Elmar du Plessis raced down the left. Tackled by Jerome Bossr just short of the line Du Plessis got an offload away to scrumhalf Jacques Joubert who was following up and took the pass nearer the touchline to go over for a try in left corner. Xander Kruger converted from touch. 8-0 after 7 minutes.

Play ebbed and flowed. Joubert had a long run for Monnas and for Glenwood speedy GJ Lubbe beat three on a long run that ended when Kruger tackled him.

Glenwood were in the Monument half when a turnover gave Joubert the ball and from just inside his 22 he raced  down the middle of the field, pace never slacking as he swerved, and after a run of some 80 metres Joubert scored under the Glenwood posts. Kruger converted. 14-0 after 22 minutes

Just before half-time Bossr found fourth time lucky and goaled a penalty. That made the half-time score 14-3.

Though there was lots of activity in the second half only ten points were scored, five by each side. The half was not less gripping for that.

Glenwood had two chances to score early in the half. First, when Bossr and Brough attacked down the left and the home side swarmed after a kick-ahead, the referee detected a tiny knock on 10 metres from the line when Glenwood seemed to score.

Then Bossr was edged out just short of the left cornerflag.

Bossr may not have scored then but he saved a certain try a couple of minutes later when Kruger won a turnover and spun the ball to the left where Odwa Nkunjana broke clean through. A try was possible till Bossr bundled  Nkunjana into touch.

Monnas had a sustained period of attack rewarded when they went right from a scrum and Len Massyn gave to Desbie Joubert and he gave to Goodman Mkhwanazi, a forward on as a substitute, and he scored in the right corner. Kruger converted from touch. 21-3 with 25 minutes to play.

Glenwood came chose to scoring when hooker Quinton Vorster threw into a line-out and received an immediate return pass and was over in the left corner but the assistant referee had detected a foot on the line. Glenwood stayed on the attack till from a scrum just inside the Monument 22 Marco Palvie broke with the wheel and passed to Brough who was at top speed and was over in the left corner in a flash. 21-8 with 16 minutes to play.

Brough was responsible for the match's most delicious moment. From inside his 22, Kruger kicked for the touchline on his right. Brough was in a position, right at the line, to catch the ball but with Desbie Joubert close behind Brough's back and intent on crashing into Brough. But in one movement Brough caught the ball and threw it high over his head and over Joubert. Brough then darted around Joubert and grabbed the ball.

Glenwood came close to scoring again when Sean Maduna got right to the line and then when Martin Holtzhausen broke and raced downfield. Monnas also had their moment when big, strong Massy burst ahead.

But the defences held and there was no more scoring. The final whistle went and two satisfied teams thanked each other.

Scorers:

For Monument:

Tries: Jacques Joubert 2, Goodman Mkhwanazi

Cons: Xander Kruger 3

For Glenwood:

Try: Devon Brough

Pen: Jerome Bossr

Teams

Glenwood: 15 Jerome Bossr, 14 GJ Lubbe, 13 Donovan du Rand, 12 Sean Maduna, 11 Devon Brough, 10 Martin Holtzhausen, 9 Jordan du Preez, 8 Marco Palvie, 7 Nama Xaba (captain), 6 Austin Brummer, 5 Lencho Brynard, 4 Kwenzo Blose, 3 Renier van Rooyen, 2 Quinton Vorster, 1 Ajay Pretorius

Replacements: 16 Christopher Klopper, 17 Ferdie Pieterse, 18 Shane Westman, 19 Khoza,  20 Craig Hunt, 21 André van der Merwe, 22 Hilton de Jager

Monument: 15 Ivan Smit, 14 Desbie Joubert, 13 Elmar du Plessis, 12 MJ Pelser, 11 Odwa Nkunjana, 10 Xander Kruger, 9 Jacques Joubert, 8 Len Massyn, 7 Henro Liebenberg, 6 Reyno Potgieter, 5 Thomas Meyer, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Dewald Schoeman, 2 Justin Brandon, 1 Nathan McBeth    

Replacements: 16 Coetzee, 17 Coenrad Vrey, 18 Christopher Havenga, 19 Goodman Mkhwanazi, 20 Booysen, 21 Franco Tiedt, 22 Arno van der Westhuizen.

Referee: Blake Beattie

Assistant referees: Marco Passero. Warren Everley